Jet boat steering deflectors



March 22, 1966 J. w. REYNOLDS ETAL JET BOAT STEERING DETLEcToRs 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 8, 1962 March 22, 1966 J. w. REYNOLDS ETAL JET BOAT STEERING DEFLECTORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 8, 1962 l|| QI a INVENTOR.

JAMES W. REYNOLDS BY ROBERT L. STEvENsoN United States Patent O 3,241,770 JET BOAT STEERING DEFLECTORS .lames W. Reynolds, Indianapolis, and Robert L. Stevenson, Greenwood, Ind., assignors to The Buehler Corporation, indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Nov. 8, 1962, Ser. No. 236,292 1 Claim. (Cl. Z39-265.19)

The present invention -relates to jet propelled watercraft and more particularly to means for steering such craft and controlling the direction of movement thereof.

One type of water jet propelled boat includes a conduit having an intake opening at the bottom of the boat and an exhaust opening at the rear of the boat. Water is pumped through the conduit by an engine arranged to drive a pump located within the conduit. One problem present in the construction :and operation of `such water jet propelled -boats is that of controlling the steering of the boat. This control may be accomplished by deecting the stream of water as the water leaves the rear of the boat.

It is an inherent function of the rolling disc type of gate described and claimed in the copending application of Howard P. Lerwick et al., filed January 5, 1962, Seri-al No. 164,481, now Patent No. 3,191,319, entitled Rolling Disc Gate and assigned to the same assignee as the present application that in many circumstances the water jet has `an upward angle a-s it leaves the exhaust opening at the rear of the boat. More particularly, the gate when in partially closed condition covers the upper portion of the exhaust aperture and permits flow through the lower portion of the exhaust aperture, this situation resulting in the jet ow exiting at a sharp upward angle. Of course, the flow of the jet in a given direction produces thrust on the boat in an opposite direction. It can be appreciated that any thrust component which is exerted verticaly is wasted since it results in no movement of the craft across the horizontal surface of the water.

Upward flow of the jet also results from the water surrounding and supporting the boat. This water is at a level or has its water line at the exhaust opening and acts to redirect the jet upwardly. As a result of the above factors, there is a problem of .spray which can affect water skiers towed by the jet boat and can affect occupants of boats in the area surrounding the jet boat.

Consequently, one object of the present invention is to provide jet boat steering apparatus which incorporates spray reducing means.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide .an improved direction control for a jet boat.

Related objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

One embodiment of the present invention might include a control system for a watercraft comprising means for moving water in a jet stream from the craft and a pair of deiiectors pivotally mounted on the craft on opposite sides of the jet stream, the deflectors having spaced, fiat, horizontal, rearwardly extending, guide elements fixed thereto and projecting into the jet stream.

T-he full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claim.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a jet boat incorporating the control system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlar-ged longitudinal vertical section of the rearward portion of FIG. 1 showing in detail the steering and control means of the pre-sent invention.

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section taken along line 3 3 of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows and showing a representative one ofthe deectors of FIG. 2.

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FIG. 4 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the structure shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a reduced view similar to FIG. 4 but with various parts removed to show the internal housing structure and the means for raising and lowering the gate of the present arrangement.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the steering detlectors of the present invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is illustrated a jet boat 10 having a hull 11 within which is -mounted a conduit 12. The conduit leads from an intake opening at the bottom of the -boat to a housing 16 mounted on the the rear of the boat. Received within the conduit 12 is a pump 17 which is driven by a conventional marine engine 20 through a shaft 21. The pump 17 functions to pump water from the intake 15 to .and out of the rear of the boat. The water is formed into a jet Istream by the converging su-rface 11 of `an annular member 25 fixed within the rearward end 24 of a tail pipe 26 forming a part of the conduit 12.

The tail pipe 26 is secured to and opens through a transom 27 of the watercraft and opens into the housing secured t-o the transom. It will be noted that the housing includes an outer decorative cover portion 29 as well as an inner enclosure portion 30. The housing 30 has an aperture 31 receiving the tail pipe and includes a rearward wall 32 formed with a further aperture 35 in `registry with the aperture 31. The aperture 35 is circular in shape and slightly larger than the size of the jet stream which may be caused to issue from the tail pipe by operation of the pump 17. A circular disc gate 36 is vertically movable in the -housing 30 across the rearward wall 32 and can be moved between the illustrated position of FIGS. 2 and 5 and a position wherein the :gate covers and blocks flow through the aperture 35. Such a gate is described and claimed in detail in the copending above mentioned application of Howard P. Lerwick et al.

The disc gate 36 may be moved downwardly into proper covering relation over `the aperture by means of a linkage 40. The linkage 40 includes a first arm 41 which is rotatably secured at its end 42 to the gate 36 at the axis 43 thereof. The other end of the arm 41 is rotatably connected to a further arm 45 which has its end 46 secured to a shaft 47. The shaft 47 is rotatably received within a bearing 50 fixedly mounted upon the watercraft, The gate 36 may be raised and lowered by operation of a lever 51 fixed to the shaft 47. When the disc gate 36 is lowered, it is guided into covering relation over the aperture 35 by guide elements 52 which taper inwardly toward one another below the aperture 35.

When the aperture 35 is closed by the gate 36, water is caused to flow downwardly through the open bottom 52 of the housing enclosure 30. At this open bottom, there are provided a pair of guide surfaces 55 which cause the water to be deflected forwardly and to move beneath the craft producing rearward movement thereof.

A pair of steering deflectors (best shown in FIG. 6) are pivoted to the housing 30 by means of shafts 61 received in suitable projecting portions 62 formed on the rearward surface of the housing 30. The steering deflectors 60 can be pivoted inwardly by means of steering member 65 which has downwardly projecting portions 66 positioned on the outside of the deectors 60 and arranged to engage the outer surfaces of the deectors 60. It will be noted that the outer surfaces 70 flare outwardly at their rearward ends 71. The member 65 is fixed to a shaft 72 which is pivotally received in projecting portions 75 integral with and extending rearwardly from the housing 30. The shaft 72 may be pivoted by suitable steering 3 means within the craft and connected to lever 73 fixed to the upper end of the shaft 72. It will be noted that the non-linear surfaces 70 and 71 of the deflectors will cause a different amount of pivoting for a given movement of the shaft 72 and member 65 depending upon whether the surface portion 69 or 71 is engaged by the member 65.

Referring more particularly to the details of the dcflectors 60, it can be seen that each deector has a pair of inwardly projecting, horizontal, rearwardly extending at guide elements 76. Except for the guide elements 76, the inward surface 77 of each deector 60 is part-cylindrical and forms or defines together with the opposite such surface 77 a generally cylindrical configuration when the deectors are in the position of FIGS. 4 and 6. This cylindrical configuration corresponds to the shape of the jet stream issuing from the tail pipe 12.

The guide elements 76 function to maintain the flow of the jet stream in a rearward direction even though the disc gate 36 partially covers the aperture 35 and causes a portion of the jet stream to be interrupted.

Each of the deflectors 6) is provided with a pair of further guide elements 80 which project inwardly from `the upper and lower terminations of the deflectors. The guide elements 80 overlap and function to prevent or reduce spray from moving away from the main body of the jet stream. It will be appreciated that the gate elements 80 maintain their overlapping relationship even though the deflectors are pivoted either rightwardly or leftwardly as viewed in FIG. 4 by the member 65. It should also be pointed out that the decctors 60 are interchangeable `and that the leftward deflector can be used to replace the rightward deector merely by turning it over.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claim are also desired to be protected.

The invention claimed is:

A control system for a watercraft comprising a conduit mounted on the craft and having a circular exit disposed above the water line and toward which the conduit extends, means for pumping water through said conduit toward said circular exit, a pair of deflectors each pivotally mounted on said craft on an opposite side of said exit, said deflectors each having flat, horizontal, rearwardly extending guide elements formed integrally thereon and spaced vertically on said deflectors, said deflectors having mutually facing inward faces which together define, when the deectors are extending rearwardly, a cylindrical configuration interrupted by said guide elements, each of said deectors having a pair of flat horizontal, rearwardly extending further guide elements which extend inwardly from the upper and lower terminations of said deectors, said further guide elements of one deflector overlapping the guide elements of the other deflector when the deflectors are extending rearwardly.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 910,195 l/1909 Haskill 251-279 X 1,827,859 10/1931 Taylor 60-35.5 2,024,274 12/1935 Campini 60-25.54 2,933,891 4/1960 Britt 60-35.55 3,040,527 6/1962 Christensen et al. 60-35.55 3,071,101 1/1963 Basso 60-35.54 X 3,083,529 4/1963 Hamilton 60-35.54

FOREIGN PATENTS 874,427 8/ 1961 Great Britain.

MARK NEWMAN, Primary Examiner.

ABRAM BLUM, SAMUEL LEVINE, Examiners. 

